Early innate immune signatures as biomarkers of Parkinson's disease onset

Overview

Parkinson's disease is typically diagnosed after the onset of motor symptoms, when significant neurodegeneration has already occurred. Growing evidence suggests that immune dysregulation, particularly within the innate immune system, may arise in the prodromal and early stages of disease and contribute to disease initiation.

This project will investigate whether individuals in the prodromal and early stages of Parkinson's disease exhibit distinct peripheral immune signatures, focusing on monocyte and macrophage polarisation and plasma cytokine profiles, with the aim of identifying early immune biomarkers of disease onset.

Research activities

You can expect to be involved in a translational research project that combines clinical samples with laboratory based immune profiling. The project will provide hands-on experience in human immunology and biomarker discovery, with close supervision and support from an experienced research team.

You will be involved in:

• working with ethically approved human blood samples from prodromal and early Parkinson's disease cohorts and healthy controls
• isolation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma from whole blood
• immunophenotyping of monocyte and macrophage subsets using flow cytometry
• measurement of plasma cytokines using ELISA or multiplex immunoassays
• sata analysis and interpretation of immune profiling results
• integration of immune data with clinical information under supervision
• preparation of figures, reports, and contributions to abstracts or manuscripts

You will work within a multidisciplinary team that includes immunologists, neuroscientists, and clinician collaborators, providing exposure to both laboratory research and clinically relevant questions in Parkinson's disease.

Outcomes

The aim of this project is to identify early immune changes associated with the prodromal and early stages of Parkinson's disease. Specifically, the project seeks to characterise monocyte and macrophage polarisation states and define associated plasma cytokine profiles in peripheral blood.

The expected outcomes of this work include the identification of distinct innate immune signatures that differentiate prodromal and early Parkinson’s disease from healthy individuals. These findings are anticipated to improve understanding of early immune involvement in Parkinson's disease and provide preliminary evidence for blood based immune biomarkers that could support earlier diagnosis and patient stratification in future studies.

Skills and experience

You should meet the general eligibility requirements for enrolment in the MPhil program. A background in biomedical science, biotechnology, immunology, neuroscience, or a related discipline will be advantageous.

Ideally you will have an interest in neurodegenerative disease, immunology, or translational research, and be comfortable working with human biological samples and laboratory based techniques. Prior experience with cell culture, flow cytometry, or basic data analysis is helpful but not essential.

Most importantly, you will be motivated, curious, and determined to learn. A strong willingness to develop new technical skills, engage with data critically, and work collaboratively within a research team will be key to success in this project.

Scholarships

You may be eligible to apply for a research scholarship.

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Keywords

• prodromal Parkinson’s
• immune system
• macrophages
• cytokines
• human immune profiling

Contact

Contact the supervisor for more information.